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Rebekah Vardy must pay £10,943.66 of Coleen Rooney’s legal costs after a new High Court ruling in the long-running Wagatha Christie case.
Rebekah Vardy has been ordered to pay £10,943.66 toward Coleen Rooney’s legal bill following the latest development in the ongoing Wagatha Christie saga, nearly three years after the original libel verdict.
The ruling, made by High Court costs judge Mark Wharton, confirms Rooney as the "successful party" in this round of cost disputes, despite objections raised by Vardy regarding how Rooney’s expenses were calculated. The judge rejected Vardy’s application to challenge those legal fees, bringing another victory to the Rooney side.
This latest hearing dealt with VAT errors and privileged legal documents. Vardy’s team disputed how Rooney’s lawyers claimed certain costs, but the judge ruled that despite “procedural shortcomings” by Rooney’s legal team, they did not amount to serious misconduct or justify disqualifying her claims.
The original libel case stemmed from Rooney’s viral Instagram post, in which she accused Vardy of leaking private stories to the media. Her dramatic conclusion – “It’s ………. Rebekah Vardy’s account.” – led to one of the most sensational celebrity court cases in recent memory.
Initially, Rooney’s legal team sought £1.83 million in costs, a figure later reduced to £1.65 million. Vardy had appealed, arguing Rooney downplayed her legal costs before trial to reduce her liability if she lost. However, Justice Cavanagh dismissed that claim, acknowledging only a "misjudgment in transparency" – not a serious violation.
Some of Rooney’s costs were found to include mistaken VAT claims by her law firm Brabners and agency Triple S Group. Rooney’s media company, CWR 2021 Ltd – involved in the Disney+ docuseries The Real Wagatha Story – was also cited. Her legal team has since confirmed the amounts will be repaid.
The case isn’t over yet. A further hearing on May 6 will scrutinize the remaining disputed legal lines, as what started as a social media spat continues to evolve into a marathon courtroom battle.
Written by Barbara Cerar, Editor-in-Chief at en.nogomania.com. Follow us for more stories from international football and celebrity crossovers.